By Gloria Ikibah
The Minister of state for Defence, Muhammad Matawalle has requested that the House of Representatives approves an additional N20 billion for the payment of families of deceased military personnel.
The minister stated this at the commencement of the 2025 budget defence session organised by the House Committee on Defense, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Matawalle who represented the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru called for an improvement in the living standard of the military personnel.
He said: “We have non-payment and accumulated bills of group life insurance, which is very important, Mr. Chairman, the very important issues that we have is non-payment and accumulated bills of group life insurance for military personnel, which I believe or I requested the committee for consideration of maybe the sum of 20 billion as an additional funds for payment of families of deceased military personnel.
“We have another issue. Mr. Chairman, if you look at the budget of 2024, most of the barracks, the allocation being made is zero. How do we expect the personnel of the military to perform while their living standard is inadequate? All the zones, all the zones, all the provision that we made, the allocation in 2024 is zerr and these are the people that we expect them to perform magic. For us in the ministry, we have a lot of challenges.
“While we look at the budget of 2025, just 50 billion. We have shortfall of 18 billion of the last year’s budget. And people expect the ministry to do wonders.
“The Ministry of Defense is supposed to provide some equipment for some of the zones but we cannot. Out of what we have in 2024, we can be able to provide just 20 APCs. What 20 APCs can do? In Katsina alone, Mr. Chairman, if we can be able to have 50 APCs that can go inside bush to flush out those criminals, I assure you, within two months, we’ll finish the issue of banditry.
“There is no provision for that. People have been complaining. Their money being given to defense.What is there? But this is what we have. And people are expecting us to do extra things out of the budget. We cannot do it, Mr. Chairman.
“So I believe this House will consider more funding to the Ministry of Defense, so that even within our own, as administrators, we can be able to provide some equipment to some plush areas of attacks. It is all over the country. If you go to southwest, southeast, northeast, north central, northwest.
“If you look at the budget of 2025, 50 billion to Ministry of Defense. There’s other people outside are thinking that the whole money of Nigeria is into the Ministry of Defense. It is not like that.
“We cannot be able to renovate any barracks in 2024. We have a lot of complaints.
“We cannot be able to pay some of their entitlement, their military, their theatres, operations. We cannot be able to pay. In fact, this month, I have to write a letter to Mr. President to pay even the presidential guard.
“I believe this committee can look into the issue of the Ministry of Defense to see how you can be able to squeeze and add more funding to the Ministry, so as at least you can expect more from us. We thank you very much.
“We assure you that despite the fact that with the limited resources, the Ministry and the personnel are doing their best to ensure safety of all citizens. I thank the honorable members for listening to us. Thank you very much, sir.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman Committee on Defence, Rep. Babajimi Benson, reiterated the commitment of the National Assembly to ensure effective resource allocation to strengthen Nigeria’s defence sector.
The Chairman highlighted the critical role the Armed Forces play in safeguarding national security amidst evolving security challenges.
He admitted the professionalism and dedication of Nigeria’s military in combating insurgency, terrorism, and banditry; adding that the dynamic nature of global and domestic security threats necessitates continuous innovation and adaptation.
“This exercise remains a cornerstone of our legislative responsibility, ensuring the efficient allocation of resources to bolster national security,” he stated, adding that the legislature has prioritized increased funding for the defence sector in recent years.
Rep. Benson reiterated the importance of fiscal transparency and accountability in the use of allocated funds.
“With these enhanced resources comes a heightened expectation for prudent, transparent, and impactful utilization. Every naira must be judiciously spent to strengthen the operational capacity of the Armed Forces and deliver tangible results.
“The budget defence session comes at a time when Nigeria faces evolving security threats that demand heightened vigilance and inter-agency collaboration”, he said.
He therefore urged Defence agencies to adopt strategic initiatives focused on measurable outcomes, operational efficiency, and the integration of modern technologies.
According to him, key issues highlighted for deliberation include delays in project implementation, resource mismanagement, and the need for capacity-building programs to equip personnel with contemporary skills.
He reiterated that the unwavering the support of the 10th for the Armed Forces and their mission to ensure a secure and prosperous Nigeria, and described the budget defence as more than a legislative duty, framing it as a reaffirmation of collective responsibility to the Nigerian people.
The session is set to continue on January 16, 2025, with further deliberations expected from defence agencies and stakeholders.